Debates of Nov. 24th, 2017

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on November 25, people will be wearing orange to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. According to the United Nations, nearly one in five women between the ages of 15 and 49 has experienced physical or sexual abuse. In Canada, indigenous women are three times more likely to be abused than non-indigenous women. That is unacceptable.

We have witnessed a cultural shift in recent weeks in the wake of allegations of abuse against women. We need to continue in that direction and support the victims of assault. For the next two weeks, we need to continue talking about this issue, make sure women know where to get support if they are assaulted, and educate men and boys from a very young age so that violence against women becomes a thing of the past.

In Quebec, this is an opportunity to remember the shooting at École Polytechnique, wear a white ribbon, and commend the activism of local organizations like Accueil pour Elle, CALACS La Vigie, Centre D'Main de femmes, and Option ressource travail, which will be handing out free roses at the Collège de Valleyfield and in many grocery stores around the region.

Laval University Football Team

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, the 53rd edition of the Vanier Cup will be played tomorrow in Hamilton. I would like to tell the House today that Laval University's Rouge et Or will most likely win the Vanier Cup for the 10th time in the team's history. The Rouge et Or is an institution in Quebec City and instills fear in teams across the country. By way of proof, in its 22-year history, the team has played in the Vanier Cup championship 11 times, or one out of every two years. It has also taken home 14 Dunsmore Cups and won 140 games. The Rouge et Or usually welcomes 15,000 fans to its games, and 20 of the team's former players are currently part of the Canadian Football League. No one can top that. With the legendary Glen Constantin as coach and outstanding quarterback Hugo Richard ready to take the field, the team is all set for tomorrow's game.

I have heard, however, that the opposing team is just as tough. I am told that the Western Mustangs racked up 222 points in their past three games. That is not too shabby.

What is important is that tomorrow's game will be incredible because 96 young Canadians will give their all to determine Canada's best university.

Go Rouge et Or.

Attack in Egypt

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Madam Speaker, today Canadians woke up to truly horrifying news from Egypt. A bomb and gun attack on a mosque in northern Sinai has left at least 180 people dead and dozens more injured. This callous and appalling attack took place just as prayers at the mosque were ending.

All members of the House can agree that worshippers should always feel safe to practise their religion. Nobody should fear for their lives. We offer our sincere condolences to those mourning the loss of family members and friends. We also send our wishes for a full recovery to those who were injured.

We want the people of Egypt to know that Canadians stand with them during this terrible time. Such violence can never be tolerated.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised in the last election that if they became the government, the rich would pay more. In fact, a financial report provided by the government for the 2016-17 tax year shows that the wealthiest Canadians paid $1.2 billion less in income tax as a result of the measures the government instituted. In fact, it says that high-income individuals aimed to recognize income in the 2015 tax year, before the new 33% tax rate came into effect.

What kind of tax strategies did these wealthy Canadians use to declare that income a year earlier?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, the tax strategy that we have put forward to reduce inequalities in this country and to make sure that the middle class has more money is to increase taxes on the wealthiest 1% and to lower them for nine million Canadians, a measure the Conservatives voted against. We came forward with the Canada child benefit that is lifting 300,000 kids out of poverty in this country, reducing child poverty by 40%, a measure they voted against.

What we have also done is look back at measures they put forward, such as doubling the TFSA limit and income splitting for families, which we know benefited the 5% or 10% of the wealthiest Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Speaker, on December 7, 2015, the markets learned that at the end of that year, the rate of taxation on the highest earners would go up to 33%. As a result, many started to sell their shares before the rate went up so that their capital gains would be realized before the change in the tax rate. As a result, in the week following that December 7 announcement, the stock market dropped by 5%.

Did the finance minister anticipate this reaction?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, as I said, we are working to make sure Canadian businesses have everything they need to succeed. We realize that Canadian business owners are crucial to our economic growth. That is why we announced that we will be cutting the small business tax rate from 10.5% to 9%.

That is also why we have worked with the Minister of Finance to make sure our economy grows, which is something the members opposite never managed to do in 10 years. We have the highest growth rate in the G7, and half a million jobs have been created. We are providing an environment that fosters the prosperity of business owners from coast to coast to coast. That is our priority on this side of the House.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Speaker, the focus of many in the stock market was to sell their shares after the December 7 announcement this minister made in order to realize any capital gains in the 2015 year, before the tax rate went up. As a result, the stock market in Canada dropped 5% subsequent to the minister's announcement on December 7.

I ask again, did the finance minister anticipate that the markets would react in this way to his December 7 announcement?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, what Canadians anticipated under the previous Conservative government was sluggish growth. The Conservatives had the worst growth and highest unemployment since World War II.

The 1% rate of growth in employment was the slowest job creation growth since World War II.

When our government came to office, we instituted policies like investing in infrastructure and supporting business owners to ensure growth for the country and to provide the right conditions for investment, entrepreneurship, and prosperity.

That is what we have been doing and what we will continue to do.

Ethics

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, in our political system the Minister of Finance is the most important person in cabinet, along with the Prime Minister, naturally. The Minister of Finance must be above all suspicion because he is very important and Canadians want to have faith in him.

Unfortunately, the current Minister of Finance is lacking on that account because we know that he is currently under investigation and that he was found guilty and paid a fine. He only takes action when cornered.

Will the Minister of Finance finally tell Canadians the truth about his private numbered companies?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent is an experienced parliamentarian who knows that, in Parliament, we have institutions responsible for maintaining the integrity of Parliament.

The expectation is that ministers and all parliamentarians will work with the Ethics Commissioner by disclosing their assets to her so she can provide guidance as to how they can fully comply with the rules that govern us in the House.

That is what the Minister of Finance did upon arriving in Ottawa. He has always been and continues to be completely open with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed her recommendations and now he is doing even more.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, if the minister did indeed work closely with the Ethics Commissioner, why was he found guilty and why did he have to pay a fine? Why is he currently under investigation? Why did he decide to sell his shares two years after being appointed Minister of Finance?

I ask the member for Louis-Hébert again: when will the Minister of Finance finally tell Canadians the truth and disclose all of his assets? That is what Canadians want to know.

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always told the Ethics Commissioner the truth. When the minister arrived in Ottawa, the Ethics Commissioner recommended that he put in place a conflict of interest screen, a measure that was good enough for the opposition ministers and the Conservative government ministers, when the Conservatives were in office. The Minister of Finance continues to work with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure compliance with all the rules, something that is expected of all ministers and all parliamentarians.

Government Appointments

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Madam Speaker, officers of Parliament work on behalf of all members of Parliament, not just the government, and certainly not the Prime Minister's Office. However, six months after the Liberals' failed attempt to appoint a Liberal as language commissioner, they are reusing the exact same broken process.

The Liberals voted against the NDP proposal to fix this mess and are now sending us letters, with one single name on it, and calling it consultation. That is not consultation; that is a charade.

Will the Liberals stop doing this? Will they work with Parliament so we can hire the best watchdogs to work on behalf of all of us and on behalf of all Canadians?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, our two official languages are at the heart of who we are as Canadians. We are committed to finding the best person for the important position of official languages commissioner.

Our government promised Canadians a rigorous, open, and transparent merit-based process for public appointments, and we are keeping with that commitment. An announcement will be made in due course.

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised an open and transparent process, but we got a closed and opaque one instead.

Five of the eight officer of Parliament positions are vacant. These positions are for watchdogs who serve all parliamentarians. We know nothing of the Liberals' plan or about the appointment process. Canadians are being kept in the dark. When we proposed a fair, open, and transparent appointment process, the Liberals voted us down.

Why did the Liberals break this promise?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Madam Speaker, as we committed to Canadians, we have a process that is open, transparent, and merit-based. All available positions are online, and we always encourage Canadians to apply.

What is interesting is that we endeavour to always work with all members in this place. We know that Canadians have a place. We know that officers of Parliament are independent. We want to ensure we pick the best people. That is why we consider many different factors. I encourage Canadians to consider applying.

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Madam Speaker, all I hear is blah, blah, blah. Nothing but words. Where is the action? This is deeply troubling.

Canadians are not taking this matter lightly. Jean-Pierre Kingsley, the former chief electoral officer, said today, and I quote:

This delay in making appointments is exasperating. It shows a lack of democratic conscience on the part of a government that I find unacceptable.

Do the Liberals grasp the impact of their broken promise on our democracy?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Madam Speaker, we will always endeavour to work in the best interests of all Canadians. That is why this government has taken historic levels of consultations. Every member of Parliament is here to represent the best interests of his or her constituents, and we appreciate hearing the diversity of those voices.

When it comes to our appointment process, it is an open, transparent, merit-based appointment process. Available positions are online, and I encourage Canadians to apply.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Madam Speaker, let me get this. When the Liberals say their process is open, they mean closed. When they say it is transparent, they actually mean it is opaque. “Just trust us” does not cut it when it comes to the Liberals, because when they go it alone, we have noticed things tend to go badly. When they tried to appoint a Liberal partisan as language commissioner, it blew up. Their spectacularly bad and expensive MyDemocracy.ca fiasco and their $5.5 million backyard rink come to mind.

The Ethics Commissioner is not only on her third extension under the government, she is also investigating the Prime Minister and the finance minister. I ask the Liberals to stop this mess, to work with all parties to do this right, not the mess they—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. government House leader.

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Madam Speaker, the member has been in this place much longer than I have. He knows we endeavour to always work with all members of Parliament. That is why any constructive feedback is always welcome.

We have introduced an open, transparent, merit-based process. We know that many Canadians have considered applying. However, it will take all members of Parliament wanting these institutions to be successful. Every member of Parliament will need to go above and beyond. All we hear from the opposition is criticism rather than constructive ideas to make the system better.

Ethics

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Madam Speaker, it took two years for the finance minister to admit fault for his failure to disclose his directorship in the corporation that owns his French villa, and its value. The Ethics Commissioner has fined him. Yesterday, the Liberals spent the day trying to justify the illegal actions of the finance minister.

It is clear that Canadians have lost trust and faith in the finance minister's ability to do his job. Is justifying illegal activity and poor judgment the new standard of the Ottawa Liberals?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, I will tell members who had lost faith in the ability of anyone to do their job. Canadians had lost faith in the ability of the Conservatives to do their job when it came to managing the economy. That is why they voted them out. In fact, they were right, because they mismanaged the economy for 10 years.

Our finance minister has managed to create 500,000 jobs in the last two years, most of them full time, and has generated the best growth in the G7, meanwhile reducing inequalities. Those are all the things the Conservatives were never able to achieve.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Madam Speaker, the only assets the finance minister grew were his own, and on a commission, too.

Uncovering the assets of the finance minister has been an ethics riddle that we have not been able to figure out, so riddle me this. “We're exempt from tax hikes of the everyday sort. You won't find us in a parliamentary disclosure report. What are we? Why, we're the finance minister's private holdings, of course.”

Will the finance minister help us solve this ethics riddle and tell us what is in those private holdings?